Harry Potter and The Elemental
by fortheconfusion
Summary: Harry Potter's sixth year at Hogwarts begins with a twist. No one thought Dumbledore would go to such extreme lengths to have "The Chosen One" protected. Or is that the real reason behind her arrival? Harry/OC
1. Daylight

She woke up to the sound of her alarm clock. A grey light shined throughout her room. She pulled back the thick quilt that had kept her warm through the night and sat up. The bed creaked beneath her as she moved to place her feet on the ground. Shivers ran up her arms and she missed the warmth of the bed already as she moved across the floor. The closer she came to the door, the more she could hear the commotion downstairs. She glanced over at the clock. 10:32. It wasn't that late.

It had been 2 weeks that she had been staying at The Burrow. When she was younger, she remembered spending time playing with a group of children about her age all with fire-red hair. Her mother would take her here when she had "business" to take care of. Sometimes it would be only for a few hours- others for a matter of days. She was never gone for too long, though, and then they would bid their goodbyes and go home. The sensation of going home still lingered in her mind- the pulling of her nostrils and the nausea to follow. She loathed it now more than ever. But that was years ago. She couldn't remember why they stopped coming here. But now, all she wanted to do was go back home.

She grabbed a robe hanging off of a chair and put some socks on. The door groaned as she opened it slowly, wishing that when it opened it would show a hallway in her home. All she came to see was the wallpaper that seemed to adorn her makeshift bedroom as well. She descended the stairs right into the kitchen. Things were flying around- pots, brushes, silverware- and a short, stocky woman with red curly hair bustled around busily. A man with a hat was sitting at the table reading the newspaper. The picture on the front page showed a man behind a podium giving a speech of sorts. "Fudge Resigns- Who Will Be Next?" the headline screamed. The man turned the page and she looked up to see the woman. She was staring at her with a smile.

"Oh, my dear! Glad to see you're up! I have eggs on the stove if you'd like some," the woman said to her cheerfully. She nodded and moved to sit at the opposite end of the table from the man. He noticed her presence and set the paper down on the table.

"Sleep well?" he asked. She again nodded. She felt rude for her lack of words but had been finding it difficult to use her voice. A plate floated in front of her as well as a fork and knife. She picked up the utensils and poked around at the eggs. Occasionally, she would muster up the ability to bring some of them to her mouth. Every time she did, he had to fight the urge to retch. She swallowed slowly, noticing the eyes upon her. She could tell that the couple was worried about her. She wished they wouldn't fret for it only made her feel more pathetic. She knew she was in an awful state. Her skin felt clammy, heavy bags formed beneath her eyes, all of her movements were sluggish and half-hearted. All she wanted to do was curl into a ball in her bed and rock herself into oblivion. She took one last bite and pushed the plate away from herself.

"Thank you," she whispered. Her vocabulary was limited- thank you, yes please, and no thank you. She was thankful that she was being at least polite yet she still felt so rude. She stood up from the table and walked back upstairs to her room.

The days had been going like that. At first, it was impossible to rouse her from her bed. The next task was her room. Everyday, she was doing a little something more. She started talking last week. She had begun to plateau though. They were still unable to get her to come out of her room for anything other than meals and bathroom trips. A younger girl with the same red hair had come into her room once to give her some shower supplies. She explained them delicately to her as she just stared at the redhead. Everything was lavender scented she remembered her saying. Lavender was supposed to calm people. Relax them. She didn't understand why she wanted to give her something that was supposed to calm or relax her when she was already dead inside.

She sat on her bed and looked at the bottles that the redhead had given her. There was a clear one with shiny purple liquid inside and another black one. A purple bar of soap and a razor lay beside them. It was all so color coordinated that she blushed from embarrassment. It was silly but thoughtful at the same time. White towels sat beside the supplies. She glanced at the clock. 10:59. She hadn't spent much time at breakfast. She stood, undressed, and wrapped one white towel around her. Grabbing a washcloth and the shower supplies, she opened the door and made her way to the bathroom.

She slipped inside and locked the door behind her. Neatly placing the supplies in the shower, she cranked it up to as hot as the shower would allow and stepped inside. At first, she felt like needles were being thrust into her body all at once, but she began to relax as she felt the steam rise around her. She picked up the clear bottle and poured some of its contents into her hand. She eyed it curiously as she began to rub it between her hands and it foamed. She then worked it into her hair. Her hands began to move furiously against her scalp. She began to felt refreshed as the grime and dirt became washed away in the shampoo and water. She rinsed. The intense aroma flooded her nose. Lavender. She felt better. Better than she had in days. Warmth filled her as she continued her bathing. She used the liquid in the black bottle- conditioner- to work out the knots that had tangled in her hair. The bar of soap came next. She cleaned her skin and shaved away the hair that had grown on her legs and underarms. The sweet smell of lavender consumed her. She rinsed again and turned the water off. She toweled herself dry and moved in front of the foggy mirror. She took one end of the towel and placed it on the mirror. Moving it back and forth, she came face-to-face with herself for the first time in 2 weeks. Her light brown hair looked disheveled and wet. Her eyebrows were fuzzy and needed plucking. Grey-blue eyes stared back at her emptily. They lacked any emotion or feeling and harbored hostility, fear, and loneliness. Dark circles had formed beneath them. Her complexion was pale and dull. She now understood why the redheaded family had been worrying about her. She looked so lifeless.

She searched a cabinet and found a small wooden comb. She pulled it through her hair, taming the tangles that were everywhere. Finally done, she dried it again with the towel. Finding a small band, she braided her hair neatly to the side. She wrapped the towel around her body and opened the door. She looked to her right then stepped out of the bathroom. Suddenly, something collided into her and she lost her balance and fell over. She yelped from surprise, as did whatever ran into her. She looked up to see a boy with bright red hair. He looked to be her age, freckles scattered about his face. Even from the ground, she could tell he was tall and gangling. He blushed bright red and she did as well. She quickly recovered herself and double-checked to make sure her towel hadn't slipped at all. It had been a close one, but she didn't flash him. She was thankful and stood up quickly. He stood up as well, still blushing, and muttered a quiet apology. He took off in the direction he had been going originally. She stood there, slightly shocked but grateful. She reached up to touch one of her cheeks. She was still blushing, her hand being warmed by the blood that flowed through her face. She gave a small smile, feeling more alive than she had in days. The encounter surprised her. In any other time of her life, she would have been moderately annoyed but for now, she was assured that she was still alive. She had been embarrassed and felt it. Her body had responded. She was alive. She still hurt, but she was alive.

* * *

For the first time, she decided to go down to the family dinner. When she arrived, everyone was already seated. Four redheads looked up from the table to watch her descend the final few steps while their parents seemed oblivious. The older woman was scurrying around the stove still making the food and the man had another newspaper up to his face. When the woman turned around and saw her, she jumped slightly then a wide smile spread across her face. Her eyes sparkled with delight as she moved to pull a chair out.

"Oo! I'm so glad you came to join us dearie! Come, come; sit here right next to Ginny!" she squealed.

She looked to see the redheaded girl that had given her the shower supplies. Ginny. She would have to thank her later for the lavender scented gifts. She moved to sit beside her quietly. Much like at other meals she had been served in The Burrow, a plate, knife, and fork floated in front of her. She became suddenly aware of the smell of food. Pork chops, potatoes of some sort, and a fresh bread. Her mouth began to salivate from the aromas. A flying skillet came to her left revealing the pork chops. She gingerly took one and plopped it on her plate. Mashed potatoes with a gravy came by later followed by rolls. She took a little bit of everything. Although she wasn't able to eat all of it, the urge to retch wasn't as powerful. Her stomach was much more tolerant now. Once she had felt that she couldn't eat anymore, she sipped on her water.

It wasn't until then that she noticed the conversation being held. Two of the redheaded boys that looked exactly identical were deep in discussion with the older man. The boy she had run into earlier was also partaking. Ginny, the girl, was reading a book, seemingly ignoring the conversation as much as she had been. The two identical boys were animatedly describing some small device in one of their hands. They were exchanging the thing back and forth.

"With this, we'll make a fortune!" one exclaimed. His arms waved around frantically as they shoved the thing in front of the man's face.

"Right you are! It's genius, kids everywhere will be beggin' their mums and dads for some."

"But Fred, don't you think that the parents would want their children to go to class rather than taking a candy to make them sick and skip?" the older man asked.

"But dad, you're not seeing the appeal that children-"

The redhead on the right stopped short when he knocked his glass of water over. The boy she had run into earlier jumped back as to prevent any liquid getting on himself. After a slight pause, the redhead on the left smacked the one on the right behind his head.

"Oww, George! What was that for?" the one of the right whined.

"For being a bloody idiot, that's why! Clumsy twin-"

"Now, don't go on saying anything about me being the clumsy one-!"

"But you are! You obviously don't carry the same dignified grace as I do!"

The one on the right scoffed. Seeing the mess of the water on the table- she didn't even think twice. She raised her right and the spill had lifted itself from the table. She gently moved her hand to her left where the sink stood. As if by magic, the water followed her hand movements and flowed into the sink. Any sign of a mess made was completely gone now. When she directed her attention back to the table, she didn't realize that all sets of eyes were upon her. The younger ones at the table gawked at her while the older couple looked at her with knowing surprise. Her cheeks burned as she realized what she had just done.

"Did you- did you just do wandless magic?" the boy she had run into earlier asked incredulously. All eyes were upon her awaiting an answer.

"I-" she stuttered, "I- I should go now." She quickly pushed herself away from the table and ran for the stairs. Once she reached her room, she slammed the door shut and got into her bed. She hid beneath the covers, wishing to hide away from everyone; wishing that when she opened her eyes from sleep, this horrible nightmare would be over and she would be safe in her home.

* * *

So, there's the first chapter! I hope to see that some people like the changes I made to the story. If not, please give me your critique! Also, on the prowl for a beta. Message me if interested!

~fortheconfusion


	2. Little Talks

When she woke up, the sky was dark. The clock read 9:13. She had taken quite a hefty nap. She lay there, staring at the ceiling, wondering why she was here at The Burrow rather than her home. She didn't want to think about it- it made her angry and sad. She didn't want to be those things anymore. For the past 2 weeks she felt enough anger and sadness. No matter how she tried, it wouldn't go away. She ached for her friends, her mother. Oh, her mother. How she missed her. How terrified she was for her. Her mind began to wander back to her dreams, her nightmares, and that terrible night.

She was coming back from a friend's house. For the first time ever, her mother had given her a curfew. She didn't mind all that much, but she knew there had to be some reason behind it. When she pulled up in her car into the driveway, she saw that the front porch light was off. It rose her curiosity but it wasn't any reason to get alarmed. She parked the car and turned it off. There wasn't a single sound in the night. She walked up to the door, pulling out her house key. Only, seconds later, she found that she didn't need the key for the door was already ajar.

Immediately, her adrenaline kicked in and she stormed inside the house. All the lights in the house were off. She walked down the hall to her mother's room. The door was ajar, but there was no sign of struggle.

Suddenly, there was a thud coming from upstairs. Her head snapped to the sound, causing her some whiplash from the force behind it. She winced in pain and cautiously made her way to the steps. One hand on the railing and the other at the back of her head, she stepped carefully as to not make a sound. She reached the top of the stairs. Nothing, she could only hear nothing. Dead silence.

A burst of purple light came spiraling down the hallway towards her. She narrowly dodged, her back hitting the wall hard. She was slow to respond, her head and neck still hurting from turning her head too fast. She clamped her hands together and an orange light burst forth between her hands. She pushed her hands out and the light spurted out from it. As it went, it separated and some began to rest in small metal holders along the walls. The hallway illuminated little by little until it reached the end and she could see her attacker. They wore black robes that reached down to the floor and covered their arms. A pointed hood covered most of their face. She caught a small glimpse of the bottom of their face. It was a skeleton.

Green, purple, and red lights started shooting at her. She ducked down avoiding the beams. She rolled onto her belly and punched her arms forward. Flames erupted from her fists towards her attacker. They dodged and shot more colorful beams her way. She rolled out of the way again.

"Don't kill her! Incapacitate her! Do not forget the mission!" a voice yelled from her room. Her eyes widened. There were now three people in black robes and skeletal faces. She shot two quick punches of fire at them. She moved her hands in a spiral motion and gusts of air followed behind the fireballs. The flames grew as they flew closer to their targets. One of the fireballs caught onto the robes of a skeletal masked person, but it was quickly put out by a forth skeletal-figure in robes. She didn't know what to do. More of these strange people kept showing up. She was trapped and still didn't know where her mother was.

"Mom! MOM!" she screamed. More colorful lights blazed past her. She moved to her feet and began blasting fire from her hands and feet, kicking and spinning towards the enemy.

"MOM! WHERE ARE YOU?" she bellowed again. A light hit her right arm. She fell down and covered it quickly with her hand. She removed her hand briefly to see that the light had created a large gash in her arm. She was bleeding. Her good arm waved from left to right. Stone from the wall shot out, tore the wallpaper, and barreled to her attackers. She heard a cry from a couple. She at least got a few hits. She took more of the wall, shifting the rock into a dense ball. Moving her left arm forward, the ball hurdled towards the hooded figures. She heard it hit the far back wall. She missed.

Another light came at her. She didn't react quickly enough and it hit her square in the chest. She screamed in agony. It felt as if someone was peeling her skin off of her and then stabbing straight into the muscle. The torture continued and she writhed on the ground. She heard a man shout something over her screams and the pain began to dwindle. She couldn't force her body to move even though her mind called for her to run. She was still recovering, the feelings of the torture still lingering. She had never experienced such excruciating pain.

Suddenly, someone yanked her from the ground. She screamed, her body still fragile, as they dragged her to her room. There her mother sat, tied to her desk chair, gagged and bloodied. She tried to scream, but a hand quickly covered her mouth roughly. Her cries were muffled now as they moved her to stand in front of another skeletal figure. The hand holding her mouth shut now moved her head up forcing her to look straight into her captor's eyes. They were a light blue and stared at her greedily. She could see the smile on his face through his mask.

"We have her," he said. Several hands then began to grab her and bind her hands and feet together with ropes. She screamed through the hand until a cloth was roughly shoved into her mouth to muffle her cries. Furious and flustered, she inhaled deeply through her nose. Fire burned in her mouth and shot the cloth straight out. Still aflame, it hit a curtain and the curtain burst into flames. She breathed fire all around, not caring at whom she was aiming at. She looked to the direction at which her mother had been. She wasn't there anymore. She looked about frantically to see the man from before holding onto her mother pointing a wooden stick at her neck. She was about to breath fire right into his direction when she saw him dig the stick further into her neck.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. Come with us peacefully and the woman is left unharmed," the man said. She held in her breath.

"Who the hell are you?" she screamed, desire to set fire to this man coursing fiercely through her veins, "And what do you want?"

"Isn't it obvious?" he replied, "We want you, Alaina."

"How do you know my name?" she inquired sharply. Her mother and her had been protecting her identity since as long as she could remember. The fact that this mysterious man knew her name terrified her to the bone.

"Let's just say a little salamander told me," he said. Her anger began to boil over. How dare this man taunt her like that! She fidgeted around in her bindings but to no avail.

"Avery, tighten the bindings on her hands," the man ordered. The rope burned her skin as the man Avery roughly redid the binding. She winced in anger and discomfort but then directed her attention once again to the man who held her mother.

"Leave her alone, Malfoy! She has nothing to do with this-!"

"Shut up, Hinston! Your daughter has everything to do with it and you know it! You've been protecting her for so long, but you had to have known that you couldn't keep her safe forever. She belongs to the Dark Lord!" the man yelled, pushing the stick further into her neck.

"She belongs to no one!" her mother defied, "No one but me and-!"

"That mutt? Save yourself, Hinston, I'm done listening to your mindless chatter. Crucio!" he said. A light burst forth from the stick and hit her mother. Instantly, her mother was screaming and writhing on the ground. Alaina screamed and fought against her captors. They held onto her firmly and she didn't get anywhere. The man stopped the torturing and her mother's screams subsided. She looked back and forth between the man and her mother. The man finally turned his head back to her.

"Take her away," he ordered. The people holding onto her began to drag her off. She wiggled and squirmed to try to break free. An idea flashed through her mind. She lit a small flame in her fingers and began to burn the rope tying her hands together. Soon enough, she had broken through enough to free her hands. She quickly moved her arms out from her body, blasting her captors with flames. The cowered from her and she shot flames down between her feet. Now free, she anchored her feet to the ground and with a powerful up motion, brought the floor up against the man, trapping him to the wall. A large hole now filled her room from where the floor had been, many of her belongings falling through it to the level below.

"Why are you here?" she asked the man. He wasn't fighting the rock that encased his body save for his head and neck. Through the mask, she could see him smile at her again. It made her sick.

"You know why. You have just shown us why," he answered. Suddenly, a purple flash blasted past her left ear and to the wall. It hit the rock holding the man and it crumbled. The man began to fall and she turned around to face the other cloaked figures all pointing sticks at her. She sized up her opponents. There were six of them and one of her. She probably couldn't fight them all off. She would be damned if she didn't try though. She readied her stance, prepared for battle. A bolt of light shot from behind her towards the figures. She looked back surprised to see her mother, wooden stick in her hand, firing off multiple lights at the enemy.

"Grab your wand Alaina or at least do something! Don't just stand there!" she yelled at her daughter. Her wand. She had left it at school that day. Turning back around, she began to shoot fire and the crumbling bits of rock that had been blasted away earlier. She moved her arms about frantically, using the air to knock back opponents and to make her fireballs bigger. They had been doing well, so she thought as one of her opponents slammed into the wall and crumpled over.

Her mother had been hit with a light and thrown back a far ways. She cried out for her. She couldn't keep her attention there for long though for more lights were being blasted at her. Quickly, a long stream of fire flew out from her hand. She whipped the stream of fire around, the flame licking the enemy's cloaks. She continued to dodge spells but it was no use. It was four on one and with a limit to what she could use to fight, she was losing. She whipped the flame at the one furthest to the right; another light hit her and grazed her left arm. Now both of her arms were injured. She still fought. Finally, an idea hit her.

'Get rid of the floor beneath them' she thought.

Just as she was about to execute the move, though, something hit her on the back of her head. Suddenly, she could feel herself being pulled up by the back of her naval. She was spinning. The ground beneath her began to vanish. Just as she was seeing the ground leaving, she was seeing it again. This time, it was bright, daytime, and grassy. She landed with a thud. She took a look around her. There was a big house only a few yards away and a couple standing there as if anticipating her arrival. She was confused. She looked at the ground around her and found a little alarm clock and she moved her arm behind her head.

When she realized what happened, she screamed.

* * *

She stared up at the ceiling still. The room started to feel small. She wanted to get out, but she didn't want to go out there. She didn't want to be with all those people. They probably thought she was some sort of freak. The boy asking if she could do wandless magic… they had every right to ask and whatnot. She was different and she had blatantly shown it to them. As if being a witch wasn't weird enough…

She was suffocating. The room was far too small. She needed air, fresh air. She slid on a pair of slippers that had been left for her. They were a little worn, but they were soft and comfortable. She slipped out the door and silently made her way downstairs. She could hear the chatter coming from the living room. She opened the door going outside from the kitchen and quietly as she could. It creaked a little, but the people downstairs seemed too immersed in a discussion to notice her.

Finding a nice patch of grass, she sat down and enjoyed the summer night. The Burrow was to her back and all she could see was fields and rolling hills. The stars twinkled up above. The moon was a crescent. The grass tickled her skin as the breeze flowed past. The strands of hair that made their way out of her braid flew out behind her.

"You shouldn't be out here alone," a voice said behind her. She looked up to see Ginny. She gestured to the ground, asking for permission to join her. Alaina nodded and Ginny sat beside her. Alaina observed her for a moment. Ginny really was a pretty girl. She had a nice complexion, some freckles here and there. Her hair was nice, long, straight, and a beautiful red color. She was thin, but not sickly. She looked well fed and happiness twinkled in her eyes. Ginny then turned to look at her. She looked away, embarrassed that she had been staring.

"I never did introduce myself. I'm Ginny," she said extending a hand. Alaina took it, giving her hand a small squeeze.

"Alaina. It's nice to meet you," she responded. Ginny looked at her quizzically for a moment.

"Alaina. That's a nice name. I like it," Ginny said. She took back her hand and moved it behind her back so she could rest upon both arms. She looked up thoughtfully at the stars.

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you lift the water from the table earlier?" she questioned Alaina. She was very straightforward, which Alaina appreciated. Even so, she didn't know if she could really trust this girl. She beat herself over the head mentally for exposing herself to this family so thoughtlessly and foolishly. Alaina sighed.

"It's kind of hard to explain. I am what is called the elemental. I can manipulate the different elements," said Alaina softly. She looked to Ginny to see if she had understood the information. Ginny seemed to be letting it all sink in.

"Are you a special type of witch?" Ginny asked. She seemed very interested in Alaina, and Alaina didn't like it that much.

"Well, I guess. I mean, I have a wand and can do magic. I'm not very good at it so I usually rely on my… abilities," she explained. Ginny gave her a small nod.

"So, all manimental-things are wizards and witches?" she asked.

"Uh… not exactly," Alaina said, "I am because, well, my mom is a quarter witch, three-quarters manimental. My dad was also a wizard I think. Like, we have to have a witch or wizard in our lineage. We're not like typical witches and wizards where anyone can give birth to a magical person."

"Huh. That's kind of odd. I would think because you have some magical properties being a witch or wizard would just come with the package," Ginny said. Alaina gave her a grim smile, not really knowing how to respond. It was one of the great mysteries of her kind- part of why they were hunted even. People wanted to unlock the great things behind manimentals at the cost of exterminating a species.

"Could you do something?" asked Ginny bluntly. Alaina was surprised. She wasn't expecting her to ask that. Spacing off hadn't really helped her either. She wasn't really sure of what to do, but the eagerness in Ginny's eyes made up her mind. She held up her right hand to Ginny. The redhead looked confused but became more intrigued as to what Alaina was going to do.

With her left hand, she made a sweeping motion over a little patch of grass. The grass immediately turned brown and a small bit of water hovered above the dead plants. She moved her left hand over to her right hand, bringing the water with it. The water came to rest in a small sphere over her pointer finger. Alaina then moved her left hand back to where the patch of dead grass lay. Her entire arm tensed and with a strong upward motion, the ground rose with her arm. She took a small portion of it and let the rest of the earth go back to its place. She clenched her hand to make a fist and the piece of earth followed suit to form another small sphere. She waved her hand back over to her right hand. The ball of earth hovered on her middle finger next to the water sphere. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her focus moved to her ring finger where a small flame now rose from her ring finger. With another deep breath, Alaina exhaled onto her pinky finger. A sphere of air now circled above her last finger.

"That's amazing," Ginny said, her eyes fixated on Alaina's hand. She smiled at her and Alaina returned it. She enjoyed being praised for her abilities. She extinguished the flame on her ring finger and let the other 3 spheres fall back to the earth and air.

"Thanks," replied Alaina.

"So, how did you get these powers? Are you some species that they don't teach in school or something?" inquired Ginny. Alaina furrowed her brow at her. She didn't know that her kind wasn't taught in school.

"I'm a manimental. It's kind of like a cycle… Sorry, it's kind of hard to explain, again," Alaina said, blushing. It was always so confusing to explain her abilities and where they came from. She would usually become embarrassed when she told people.

"Go on, unless you don't want to talk about it," Ginny said. Alaina looked at Ginny and gained some confidence. There was a spark about Ginny that she couldn't help but feel attracted to and connected with. She felt as if she could tell her anything and Ginny would take it to her grave if she asked her to.

"Manimentals are an ancient species. We learned from the elemental spirits: gnomes, sylphs, salamanders, and undines. Each manimental has a specific element that they have a stronger affinity to, you understand?" she said. Ginny nodded her head and she continued. "We're born in cycles- like an earth manimental will give birth to a fire manimental, then air, then water, then earth again. Our kind is… rare now. We used to be hunted and we still are to a degree. We just keep our magic well hidden now. Wands certainly help," she concluded.

"Why can you control all of the elements?" Ginny inquired.

"Well… sometimes, manimentals have an affinity to more than one element. Two elements was pretty common, 3 more rare but not unheard of, but four has only happened a few times in our kind," she sighed gently. She always hated how long and complicated her explanation was.

"How does that work?" asked Ginny.

"Well, some elements are very similar and the motions are alike. The personality and mindset of the person has a lot to do with it too. Water and air are very similar because they require a sort of person that is free and flexible. They don't fight the element, they flow with it," responded Alaina. As she said this, she played with the wind. Rolling it into spheres and then making it a long stream, she weaved it between the two of them and eventually let it vanish. Ginny stared at the sky for a few moments before returning her attention to Alaina.

"That makes sense," Ginny replied. A sweet silence fell between the two of them.

"So, you've never heard of a manimental?" asked Alaina. Ginny shrugged slightly.

"I think I've heard them mentioned before, but we've never really learned about them. Well, I haven't at least. I'm also not that old, going to be a 5th year this year," the redhead explained.

"What's a fifth-year mean?" asked Alaina.

"Oh," Ginny said, furrowing her brow, "at Hogwarts- our school- I'm going into my fifth year there. I'll be 15 in August." Alaina nodded. She had heard of Hogwarts- it was one of the best wizarding schools out there. Her mother used to tell her about it. She had gone there and would always get this look on her face when she'd talk about it. Large corridors and moving staircases with walls lined with moving portraits- it never seemed real to her. She would tell her about a great, black lake with merpeople and other magical creatures. Her mother was a fantastic witch and gave all the credit to her education at Hogwarts. She had always wanted Alaina to go there, but it never seemed possible.

They had lived in England when Alaina was eleven. She had received a letter. She remembered distinctly running to the door when she heard the mail slot clink on their door to their apartment. One cream colored envelope sat there, her name gracefully written on the center. She remembered picking it up and quickly turning it over to see the seal of the Hogwarts emblem. She ran, jumping and hollering down the hallway that went to her mother's room. Her mother sat there, reading glasses on as she sat on the bed with papers and opened envelopes around her. As Alaina waved the letter in the air excitedly, she remembered seeing the pride in her mother's face. She could recall something else, something that made her feel uneasy on her mother's face, but it was always masked by the thrill she had felt on the day she received that letter.

Shortly after, her mother had packed all their belongings and they relocated. Alaina at the time had thought that they were going to Hogwarts together, but when they boarded the plane going to Ireland, she knew that Hogwarts wouldn't be in her future. Thus began the years in which she and her mother moved at least once a year, always to some English-speaking country. They had spent most of their time in Ireland, Canada, the United States, and Australia. Once Alaina was 15, they had settled down for a couple of years. For the first time, they had a house. Alaina was able to make friends. Alaina was homeschooled, but she had a job at a local grocery shop. She was making minimum wage, but any money made her feel like she was rich.

Her mother had a lot of connections all over the world, explaining how she always had a place for them to go when she felt the need to relocate. Through her mother's friends, Alaina made friends with their kids. All of Alaina's friends had been witches and wizards. One back in Australia was even a manimental with a fire affinity. Alaina had learned most of her fire manipulation from him and it became one of her stronger elements. She had always liked earth the most, though. Her mother was a water manimental, which made sense of her strong affinity to earth.

Rustling beside her lifted her from her thoughts. She looked over to Ginny who also seemed to be lost in her thoughts.

"So, my brother Bill and his fiancé Fleur will be arriving tomorrow. After that, two of my brother Ron's friends will be coming. Hermione Granger and Harry Potter- you've probably heard of Harry," Ginny spoke up. Alaina hadn't heard of Harry Potter, but she dismissed Ginny's assumption. According to her, she would find out in a couple of days. "We were also expecting others," added Ginny. She turned to look at Alaina. The look in her eyes puzzled Alaina. It was almost accusing.

"My mum told me that a girl about my brother Ron's age and her mother would be coming. You came- but no mum," she said with a blazing look. Alaina was even more confused. Her arrival had been anticipated. But not just hers, hers and her mother's arrival. Now she understood why the couple had been waiting there. They knew that she would be coming. They had been expecting her.

Just like the hooded skeletons had been.

Alaina's mind raced as she tried to make sense of the information. The curfew- they were supposed to leave at a certain time. The alarm clock- it was a portkey meant not just for her. Her being at The Burrow was planned. Why, she had no idea.

"What happened?" Ginny broke her thoughts. Alaina shook her head, almost madly, bringing her knees up to her body. Now all she could think about was the hooded figures and how they attacked her home. How they attacked her mother- she was ashamed of herself. How could she not have been more curious as to why her mother set a curfew for her? How could she not have been more ready for the attacks that she faced? Leaving her wand at school- what a juvenile and foolish mistake!

"I don't know," she finally responded in a whisper. She began to rub her arms over her legs to keep herself from shivering.

"You were attacked, weren't you?" Ginny continued. Alaina nodded her head slowly. She could not fall; she could not break, not in front of this girl at least.

"People with skeleton masks-"

"Deatheaters," the redhead finished for her.

"They tried to take us. But we broke free. They were firing spells at us and it was too much. One minute, I was fighting alongside my mom. The next, I was in your yard," she said. Ginny frowned and put her hand on her shoulder. Alaina focused on breathing as she felt Ginny rub her shoulder gently. She didn't want to breakdown now. She had done enough of that the past few weeks. She hated being reminded of it, but she also felt strangely better. It was a good thing to tell someone about what had happened, even if it wasn't in great detail.

When she finally felt composed, she gave Ginny a small smile. The redhead returned it warmly and moved her hand off her shoulder.

"Lovely night, isn't it ladies?" a voice said from behind Alaina. Both of the girls jumped slightly from the sudden outburst.

"Why yes, George! I mean, look at the stars," another voice said from Ginny's side. The two didn't jump as much this time, but were still startled. Ginny growled beneath her breath before unleashing her fury.

"Fred! George! Must you always bombard conversations without being welcomed!" she raged. The tall redhead from behind Ginny smirked before kneeling down behind her and grasping her shoulders.

"Aww, Ginny, I'm sorry we interrupted your girl time," he said. He gave her shoulders a little shake. She scoffed and rolled her eyes in fierce annoyance.

"Glad you're here. More girls for Ginny to go and talk to-"

"Which means more dirt on our little sister," the two boys said stepping in front of the two. They were identical in shape, size, and voice. Both were tall but had a strong build to them. Once again, Ginny scoffed and looked up at the two boys.

"Please, why don't you just use your Extendable Ears or read my letters and journal like you used to?" she spat.

"Well, of course we do all that-"

"But we both know that when Hermione's here, you two don't shut up-"

"So we figured that another girl in the house would double our dirt," they said. Alaina sat there quietly amused by the spectacle the siblings were putting on for her. She had always wanted siblings, but only having a mother made that situation difficult.

"We particularly like your letters to a Mr. Dean Thomas," the one in front of her said. She could see a spark ignite in Ginny's eyes as she lunged for the redhead. He disappeared though and Ginny landed on the ground without her prey. She hissed angrily.

"I'm going to kill you, George!" she yelled, "You're so lucky that you can apparate!"

"Lighten up, Gin. We're just playing around. We all know that you really love-" he wasn't able to finish for Ginny quickly turned to lunge at him. He apparated as well, leaving Ginny with fistfuls of grass.

"We're just glad you have only one boy- as long as you don't go snogging him out in public…"

"What Dean and I do is our business! And I would appreciate if you left my letters be," she spat, "Besides, don't you have your own business to be running?" The two redheaded boys came back into plain view.

"Business is swell, dear Ginny, don't worry your little head," the boy closest to Alaina said.

"That being said, we have to go back inside-"

"Say our goodbyes-"

"And head back to Diagon Alley." Suddenly, both boys were next to Alaina, asking for her hand.

"But, we haven't even properly introduced ourselves, I'm Fred Weasley," said one. Alaina gave him her hand, expecting a light handshake. Instead, he took her hand and brought it swiftly to his lips. Alaina blushed crimson as he did so and looked down.

"And I'm George Weasley," said the other. He too brought Alaina's hand to his lips much to her embarrassment.

"Alaina Hinston, it's nice to meet you," she said softly. He released her hand and the twins moved to stand.

"By the way, brilliant magic in there-"

"The Order said that you were extraordinary-"

"And extraordinary you are." A creaking sound came from the house and the twins directed their attention to it. Ginny and Alaina followed their gazes to see their mother standing in the door. The light from inside flooded the yard. Alaina saw several boots and old cauldrons littered the grass. With a pop from behind, the twins were up to the door in front of the woman. She jumped in surprise and Alaina could hear her growl.

"You do NOT need to apparate EVERYWHERE you go! Ginny! Alaina! Please come back in the house dears!" she shouted. Ginny got up and made her way to the door. Alaina followed her. Ginny was a bit taller than her and walked with a grace that Alaina envied slightly. When they reached the door, she ushered them in swiftly before closing the door and locking it in several places. She then whipped out her wand and began to mutter incantations under her breath. Ginny began to go upstairs and Alaina made to follow her when there was a slight cough. Alaina stopped to turn and see. A man with a crooked nose and half moon spectacles sat with his hands folded together at the kitchen table. Ginny stopped moving on the stairs as well and gave a small gasp.

"Professor Dumbledore! What brings you here?" Ginny asked with a twinge of excitement. Alaina narrowed her eyes. The man from what she could tell was very old and was clothed in deep purple robes. His white, long beard was tucked into his belt. His face looked withered but pleased all the same. It was only then that she looked back at his hands to see that one was blackened.

"Business, Ms. Weasley. Also, I fancy your mother's tea beyond that of anyone else," the man said with a smile. His eyes twinkled in the light. Alaina couldn't help but be curious about this man but also feel at ease with him. He gave off an aura of relaxation and control- something Alaina needed more of in her life.

"Oh, Dumbledore! You mustn't flatter me so much!" the woman said bustling around, her cheeks flushed. With a wave of her wand, a fire lit beneath the kettle and a teacup and saucer flew over in front of the man.

"You must be Alaina Hinston. My, have you grown! The last time we met, you were much younger. So much, you more than likely don't remember who I am. We only met once," the man said. Alaina's guard instantly shot up. The last man who knew her name without having introduced herself tried to kill her mother and capture her. Her relaxed feelings of him instantly drained.

Thoughts swarmed her mind. Should she bolt for the door? She didn't want to cause any damage to The Burrow should the man try to come after her. Her left foot slid along the floor to give her a better position to run for the door as well as bend some air as to make a quick diversion. Her right arm followed the movement to behind her back. She would be ready to strike. Her heart sank. She knew that The Burrow was too good to be true. The people had been so kind to her- she didn't want to cause them trouble. She had stayed there for too long. She should have remembered her usual life of being the prey- constantly on the run.

To her surprise and annoyance, the man chuckled at her. Adrenaline pumped through her body. Well, if he thought that she would be easy to take down, he better re-think-

"I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself. How foolish of me- my name is Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," the man said extending a hand. Alaina loosened her stance a little, but didn't let her guard waver too much. He could just be trying to trick her. She hesitantly took the man's hand and shook it. He smiled at her and she moved a step back, but she was no longer in a good stance to manipulate any of the elements. She was ready to move back into one though, if the situation were to arise. Seeing as he hadn't done anything yet and he was from Hogwarts, she felt a little bit less concerned. He gestured for her to sit down across from him. As she moved to sit, another teacup and saucer flew over to sit in front of her. She sat down and looked up at the redheaded woman, who smiled down at her before turning her eyes to Ginny. Her brow creased slightly.

"Up to bed, Ginny. Now, up you go!" she said, shuffling her upstairs. Alaina could hear some feeble complaints from Ginny, but she was persistent. Alaina's eyes remained on the staircase until a whistling sounded from the kettle. The woman scurried back down to remove the kettle from the flame. She flicked her wand and a small bowl of sugar cubes moved in between Alaina and Dumbledore. The kettle then poured itself into her cup as well as Dumbledore's. As soon as the kettle returned to its place on the stove, the woman moved to the living room.

"If you need anything, just let me know. I'll just be doing some knitting among other things in here," she said before exiting. Alaina still felt uncomfortable being left alone with this man. She eyed him curiously before bringing her cup of tea up to her lips. The man's hands were still folded together and he smiled at her warmly. She set her cup down and cleared her throat. If he really had something to say to her, she wished he would do it sooner. She was feeling a bit tired and was beginning to lose her patience.

"Are you enjoying your stay here at The Burrow?" he asked, cutting through the silence. She moved her gaze to meet his and folded her hands, imitating him.

"It's- er- nice. They're all very nice here," she said. She knew her answer was weak, but she didn't want to come across as though she had been shutting herself up her entire stay even though she was.

"I'm glad you've found it welcoming. Now, unfortunately, I am tight for time tonight. Although, I would love to get to know you more, I'm sure we'll have plenty if you so choose to come to Hogwarts," he said. His words hit her with such force. Her? Go to Hogwarts? It was impossible. She had been homeschooled. There was no way- she must be dreaming. She pinched the back of her hand and flinched slightly when she found that it did hurt and she definitely wasn't dreaming. The man smiled at her more broadly. She knew that he saw her pinch herself and she could feel the color rise to her cheeks. She felt so silly. He didn't say anything on it though but continued much to her relief.

"I'm sorry to say that we have not been able to locate your mother. It's especially difficult seeing as the two of you were in America at the time of your attack, but I can assure you, some of our best are working hard to find her," he said. Alaina's heart skipped a beat.

"So, you're saying, that my mother is alive?" she inquired hopefully.

"When we arrived at your home some time shortly after you had arrived here without your mother, we were not able to find a body anywhere. However, the Dark Mark was floating over your home, but the Death Eaters have a tendency to leave their dead behind as a sort of scare tactic or reminder to those around," Dumbledore said. Alaina's heart sank a little bit, but she knew her mother was strong. She could find a way out of anything.

"I'm sure, you're also very intrigued to know why you are here?" he continued. Alaina gave him a figurative glance.

"Let me warn you Alaina, your abilities are no mystery to many here. It is for that reason mainly that you and your mother were attacked two weeks ago. Has your mother informed you of the dark wizard Lord Voldemort?" he said. Alaina nodded slowly. She had heard her mother speak of a dark wizard in the United Kingdom that was once again at large. She knew that he had done horrible, unspeakable things, but she had only been two by the time he was gone. A little over a year ago, though, she remembered her mom was riddled with panic. She constantly rubbed her left forearm and glanced behind her as if someone were about to jump out and ambush her.

"Lord Voldemort's followers, known as Death Eaters, were the ones who attacked you and your mother," he explained.

"I know," she interrupted, "I know they came wanting to take me." Dumbledore's face fell a little and he picked up his cup of tea. He sipped quietly for a few moments before starting up again.

"Our plans, however, were to have the two of you transported here by portkey together," he said.

"I know. Ginny told me," she interrupted once again. At this, his smile grew a little and his eyes twinkled once again. She was growing irritated the longer the conversation drawled on.

"Why, though? Why were we supposed to come here?" she said, anger fighting through in her voice. Dumbledore sighed.

"I was afraid that she wouldn't tell you. Although, I'm sure you have been quite accustomed to your life moving from place to place, your mother thought that you had enjoyed living in the same place for a while. She, too, had grown tired of moving constantly. She wrote me a few months ago, asking if she could move here with you. With the recent events here, she felt that she wanted to offer her aid and not be afraid of losing you. The plan was for her to rejoin the Order and for you to come to Hogwarts," he explained.

"What's 'the Order'?" she asked. She was expecting this question to catch him off-guard, but his face never deceived any sort surprise.

"The Order, or more formally known as The Order of the Phoenix, is an organization devoted to the destruction of Lord Voldemort and his followers. It consists of witches and wizards all above age, like your self," he said. Silence cut through the two of them. Is that what she was expected to do here? Join this Order and fight Lord Voldemort? It hardly seemed fair to her- to be a weapon. She clenched her jaw and picked up her teacup. She took a quick sip.

"So that's why I'm really here. I'm here for you to use as some sort of- weapon or something?" she said defiantly. Rage was beginning to boil in her. It was all some trick. She stared at the man hard, wanting him to give her some reason to set the table ablaze.

"Hardly. Your mother wished for you to grow up normally. She wanted for you to be safe most importantly," Dumbledore said calmly. Unfortunately, this didn't soothe Alaina much. She wanted him to say she was just there to be used- be some sort of martyr to their cause. Whatever cause it was again. She still felt betrayed- getting caught up in a war that doesn't concern her. She decided to take a different approach though.

"So this Order- you say I can join it?" she said, trying to act as intrigued as she possibly could without letting her anger boil over.

"You would be able to, assuming you were done with your school work," he replied. Alaina felt stumped. Of course she wasn't done with schooling- she was supposed to be going to Hogwarts this year. However, she was of age.

"And saying I was, and since I am of age, what sort of work would I be doing?" she asked.

"Protect Harry Potter. You are young enough to look like a student at Hogwarts. It would be most ideal- someone that could be in all the same classes, walk around with him wherever he went- assuming of course you landed in the same house as him and the two of you became acquaintances," he said airily. Alaina smirked. She could do it. It would be easy. How hard could one little boy be?

"I could do that," she said. Dumbledore met her gaze. His eyes continued to twinkle despite the fact that the look he was giving her was much darker than before.

"Then, I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon. Sooner than later, I must actually go retrieve Harry myself. After that, I'll be seeing you at Hogwarts. Have a good night, Miss Hinston," he said. Taking one last sip from his tea, he stood and with a wave of his wand, the door opened. She watched him walk out and with another wave, the door closed and all the locks resumed to the places they had been before.


	3. Look Into the Air

The Burrow seemed to get more crowded over the next few days. The oldest of the Weasley children arrived with his fiancé. From what Ginny had told Alaina, his name was Bill and she was Fleur. Fleur had been a champion in what was called the Triwizard Tournament and was part veela. Another one of Ginny's brothers, Ron, was quite fond of her as well. Whenever she'd walk past him, he would stare with a dreamy look on his face. She didn't make the best of impressions though on Ginny and Mrs. Weasley. She was constantly overlooking Mrs. Weasley in everything she did and insisted on helping. At first, Mrs. Weasley was very happy about it until she noticed that she was only taking care of Bill's needs.

Then, a girl with bushy brown hair arrived. Alaina couldn't remember her name save for the fact that it was long and one that she had never heard of. Ginny and Ron were very excited with her arrival.

Many other people who Alaina was only briefly introduced to came by as well. Their visits were often short, so she wasn't too concerned with getting to know them.

Alaina sat at the table eating her eggs. Mr. Weasley had left a few minutes after she had sat down to eat. He was looking more worn each day. Mrs. Weasley had also started to look more frazzled. She constantly glanced at a clock checking the time and seemed more distraught each time she looked at it. Alaina concluded that something was coming and Mrs. Weasley was not looking forward to it. Her only lead though was the boy Harry Potter. But why Mrs. Weasley would be anxious for his arrival she didn't understand.

Alaina had been spending most of her days wondering about Harry Potter. She was supposed to protect him this year. Maybe the reason why Mrs. Weasley was so worried for him coming was that he would put the whole household in danger. But how much trouble could one boy bring? Then again, there were so many people coming in and out of the house, all of which looked to be formidable witches and wizards, there was no way that the house could be taken down with as many people that knew of it.

Alaina tried to lean over in her seat to look at the clock, but Ginny swiftly sat down on the bench next to her, bringing the seat down. She hastily returned to her eggs and looked to her new company. It was the bushy haired girl and Ginny talking animatedly. Two plates with eggs and silverware floated to them. The bushy haired girl thanked Mrs. Weasley. Ginny began to take a bite when she suddenly froze and thanked her mother as well. Alaina looked to Mrs. Weasley to see a stern look on her face that transformed into a smile. She returned once again to her food, the clock out of her mind for the time being. She finished the eggs and brought her dishes to the sink. Mrs. Weasley stood over the sink, her brow furrowed in confusion. Alaina set her plate next the sink and tapped her gently on the shoulder. The woman jumped slightly but quickly smiled.

"I don't know what's wrong with this sink! I think the gnomes have dug a little too deep and messed with the pipes again…" she spaced off. Her face contorted again and she began to look up at the faucet. Alaina cocked her head to the side. She could hear Ginny and the one girl's conversation soften as they observed Mrs. Weasley as well.

"Gnomes?" asked Ginny. Mrs. Weasley groaned lightly.

"Seems to be so, dears. We'll have to wait until your father gets back from work tonight and see if he can have a look at it," she said, clicking her tongue. "You all will have some work today too it looks like."

"Want me to take a look at it, Mrs. Weasley?" Alaina spoke up. All eyes turned to her. With a puzzled look, Mrs. Weasley stepped aside from the sink.

Alaina closed her eyes and with her left hand, grabbed the faucet. With her right hand, she flicked the faucet. A ringing sounded through her ears. She could feel and see herself through the vibrations. She sensed the faucet and followed the metal. Once the vibrations were sufficiently underground, she could feel a small cavern and see that the pipe was separated at a section. It was only about five meters away from the house- she could fix it in no time.

"It seems that something that makes holes underground have broken the pipe. It's far enough away from the house that I could have it fixed in no time. I just hope you can forgive me digging up some of your yard. I'll put it all back, it'll just be a few minutes," she said. The looks she was receiving were still puzzled and it made Alaina feel uncomfortable. She looked to everyone awkwardly before grabbing her arm with her right hand.

"Well, alright then. I guess we won't have to wait for Arthur. Thank you, dear," Mrs. Weasley said. Alaina took the opportunity to rush outside and escape the stares.

She didn't put her shoes on and instead stepped out onto the lawn. The grass felt nice between her toes. Closing her eyes, she stomped on the ground. Feeling the vibrations coming back to her, she set out to where the broken pipe was. She knelt down next to where the pipe should be. Sensing the vibrations one last time to ensure that she was going to be digging in the right place, she stood back up and got into position.

She widened her stance and brought the heels of her hands together. Trying to make a neat circle with her hands, she lifted them. The ground below came with her hands the higher she lifted them. Finally getting enough ground out, she peered down into the hole she had created. She could just barely see the pipe, but there was no way she could reach it without going down there. Inhaling deeply through her nose, she moved to the side of her hole.

Her left foot in front and her right solidly behind her, she put her hands side-by-side, palms out. With a swift movement, her arms extended, pushing the ground with it. She walked over to her newly created hole. She moved to sit over the edge so she could jump in when the door slammed loudly. Alaina looked up quickly to see the bushy haired girl. She looked slightly crazed and excited.

"You're a manimental!" she cried, pointing a finger at her. Alaina gulped. She didn't like the finger pointing.

"Yes, why?" she said, trying to sound more confident than she felt. She was aching to get away from the look the girl was giving her. She could tell that she was full of questions.

"It's just- your kind is nearly extinct. I never realized or imagined that I would meet one someday," she rushed. This girl instantly turned off Alaina and her blood began to boil.

"Yeah, we are. If you don't mind, I would like to get back to my work in peace," she spat. The girl flushed.

"Oh! I- I hadn't meant to offend you o-or anything," she stuttered. Alaina ignored her and jumped into the hole. She felt like a zoo animal or something with the way she was ogling at her. This was precisely the reason why she and her mother had always been running. People like this girl were curious for information and were eager to get their hands on anything- even if it meant going to extreme lengths to capture their "subjects". People coveted their abilities and they were hunted out of fear and so others could gain knowledge on her species. It disgusted her.

Clearing her mind, she looked back down at the pipe. It had been bent upwards and dislocated from the pipe that connected it to the house. Grabbing the small bit of bent pipe with both hands, she pushed with all her might to bend it back. Grudgingly, it followed her commands. Metal bending was always tough. Raising her right hand, she lit a small blue flame on one finger. She pointed it down at the pipe. After a few minutes, it began to turn red. She welded the pipe back together. Seeing that her work was done, she blasted some air from her hands and feet. She rose above the ground and floated gently back down. Fixing her stance, she moved the ground to cover the hole again. All that it looked like was that someone had dug up the grass in a small patch. Satisfied with her work, she went back inside.

Mrs. Weasley was still bustling around the kitchen. The two girls weren't there anymore, but Ron was there, his eyes groggy as he poked at his eggs. Alaina wiped the dirt off her hands onto her shorts. She cleared her throat and made her way over to the sink. She twisted the knob and water began to pour from it. She grabbed the dishes that were left on the counter and began to wash them.

"Oh, dear! Thank you so much for fixing that! Oh, you don't have to do that," Mrs. Weasley said, batting her hands away from the dishes, "You've done plenty for us today. Why don't you go upstairs and take a shower?" She turned quickly from Alaina and tended to the stove. She then raised her hand and flicked her wand. Wash clothes seemed to be cleaning the dishes to their own accord.

Alaina shrugged and walked upstairs. A shower did sound nice to her. She passed by the room Bill and Fleur were staying then passed Ginny's room. The door was cracked and she heard her name. Alaina stopped by the door to hear the two girls talking.

"She seems kind of rude at first- but just give her some time to get to know you," she heard Ginny say. Alaina leaned in closer to the door. They were talking about her, that was for sure.

"I didn't mean to offend her or anything, but she just took off without letting me explain myself," the other girl said.

"Well, she doesn't really like talking about her powers. I mean, she told me once, but that was because I had no idea what she was. She said that her kind is hunted and she gets pretty defensive about a lot of things. I think she's just not the trusting kind," Ginny said. Her words hit Alaina with a sort of shock. Not the 'trusting kind'. What was that supposed to mean? Of course she didn't trust people usually- many people were after her for her abilities. She was a tool in their eye or a commodity. She hated feeling like people owned her.

Not wanting to hear anymore, she continued upstairs. A shower would do her nicely right about now.

* * *

The next morning, Alaina woke up to all sorts of commotion. When Alaina opened the door she saw Fleur running up the stairs with a tray of food in her hands. As soon as she passed, a wheezing Mrs. Weasley bolted after her. Her curiosity told her to follow, but she decided to go downstairs instead.

Bill was already in the kitchen with the paper in his hands, a cup of tea within his reach. Alaina sat near him, but not close enough as to give him thought that she wanted to strike conversation with him. She stole a glance at the paper he was holding. The pictures moved, much like the paper that Mr. Weasley read. It made her head spin.

Alaina stood to get a cup of tea. She kept an eye on Bill, but he gave no acknowledgement to her presence. She felt more at ease knowing that he wasn't going to pursue interaction. She sat back down and took frequent sips from her cup. She rather liked the Weasley tea. Most teas that she had were bland and needed a good deal of sugar, honey, or some flavoring to make it drinkable. This tea had its own unique flavor and stood out. And it tasted _good._

"Harry's here," a voice cut through the silence. Alaina looked up as Bill turned to a new page in his paper. She focused her gaze upon him.

"And so are a lot of people that I don't know," she replied shortly. She took another sip of tea, relishing the warm feeling flowing down her throat.

Bill hummed. "I figured you would be a little more interested in him, seeing as you're his 'bodyguard' this year," he said, not taking his eyes off the paper. Alaina glared at him. How did he know about her mission at Hogwarts? He wasn't even at the house when the Headmaster had visited her.

"Keep glaring at me like that and you'll tear a hole through this paper," he said. He turned the page again. Alaina scoffed.

"Yeah, I bet you'd get a real kick out of that- seeing me burn it up," she retorted. He gave one small chuckle, not once removing his gaze from the paper. It was slightly eerie that he was so receptive of her without looking at her at all. She finished her tea, rinsed off the cup in the sink, and made to go upstairs.

"Don't go up there," Bill's voice came from behind her. She wheeled around, irritated that his nose was still buried in that stupid newspaper. He flipped the page carelessly and a scowl settled on her face.

"Why not?" she asked hotly. This man was seriously starting to annoy her. She crossed her arms over her chest waiting for a reply.

"'Cause. I'm supposed to keep you down here," he said. At this, her eyebrows raised.

"Really?" she said.

"Really."

With a huff, she walked back over to the table to where she was sitting before. There better be a damn good reason why he was supposed to block her from going upstairs. She was about to question Bill why she couldn't go upstairs, but he seemed too engrossed in his paper to give her a proper answer. She sighed and propped her chin on her hand. Her fingers tapped on the table impatiently in a rhythmic pattern.

She absently stared at her surroundings. Pots were being cleaned on their own, the kettle sat on the stove, and various other things swirled around the room. It was busy, but charming all the same. Still scanning, she finally got a good look at the mysterious clock. She squinted her eyes because she couldn't make out what was on the clock clearly. Instead of numbers, there were words that were locations like home, school, and work. The clock was also lacking hands but had spoons instead with pictures on them. She recognized a few of the faces- Ginny's, Ron's, Fred's, George's, and Bill's pictures were all pointing to the same direction. What confused her was why they were all in mortal peril-

"Mum, why can't I go talk with them? You don't need my help right now!" Ginny's voice grew louder as she descended the stairs. Fleur waltzed into the room more gracefully than any dancer she had ever seen followed by a red-cheeked Mrs. Weasley and Ginny. Ginny was scowling at her mother as if she stared hard enough, something large and heavy would drop onto Mrs. Weasley's head. As Fleur made her way over to Bill, he finally looked up from his paper and gave his fiancé a bright smile. She pecked him on the cheek and sat down next to him. Alaina could hear someone make a light gagging noise at the small display of affection.

"We have lots to do today Ginny and I have _hadenoughofyourwhining!"_ Mrs. Weasley said. Ginny's face dropped seeing that there was no point in arguing with her now. Dejectedly, she took a seat next to Alaina. Trying to reassure the young redhead, she gave her a small smile. Ginny tried to reciprocate which only resulted in a small twitch on the left side of her mouth. Ginny stood back up and grabbed the towels that were cleaning off the dishes. She threw them into a hamper by the stairs, only to have them fly back to the sink to continue their job.

"Mum, you need to release the charm!" groaned out Ginny. Not turning around from her work, she flicked her wand and the towels fell to the floor. Grumbling, Ginny picked them up and threw them back to the hamper.

Alaina felt the need to take a shower. Standing up, she began to walk towards the stairs when she heard Mrs. Weasley's protests.

"Now's not a good time to go upstairs dearie. Maybe relax in the living room or take a walk outside?" she suggested. Alaina sighed. She didn't understand why they didn't want her upstairs.

"I was only going to take a shower," she said as politely as she could. Mrs. Weasley's lips pulled back making them look thinner. Alaina couldn't help but resent the motherly look she was receiving.

"Perhaps you can wait. I think Hermione is in the bathroom currently," the woman replied. Sighing in defeat, she made her way towards the door.

Not bothering with shoes, she stepped out into the morning grass. There was still some dew lingering on the flora. She walked around the boarder of the house, smelling the various flowers the Weasley's had planted around. She was careful not to bump into the shoes and rusty cauldrons that littered the yard. Finding a nice shady spot on the west side of the house, she sat down and enjoyed the morning.

* * *

"Ginny's hair isn't that dark, is it?" a boy said looking out from the window. He screwed his eyes in concentration at the figure below him. Her hair didn't have the coppery glow that most Weasleys had. But it was long, like Ginny's, and he didn't know of any other girls their age staying at the Burrow besides her and Hermione.

"Uh, Harry… there's something you should know," a girl's voice said hesitantly behind him. He turned back to his two best friends. Hermione sat on the edge of the bed, exchanging glance between himself and the redhead Ron. Ron shook his head at Hermione frantically. They were trying to hide something from him.

Instantly, he became angry. Hadn't they already gone through this just a year ago? Hiding things from him was never good and they knew how much it bothered him.

"What are you hiding from me?" he said quickly. He looked at his friends expectantly. He could tell Hermione was fighting the urge to tell him, but Ron's glares were keeping her silent. Harry sighed impatiently.

"Fine, if you won't tell me I'll go find out for myself," he said hotly, making his way to the door. Hermione gave a worried look to Ron before they both ran after him. Hermione said his name repeatedly to try to get him to stop, but he didn't listen. They obviously wouldn't tell him so he'd just go confront the girl. It wasn't Ginny or else they would have said something. And she more than likely wasn't a relative of theirs or Fleur's because that wouldn't have explained the glances between Ron and Hermione.

He stormed through the kitchen as he heard Hermione call his name out one last time. Without sparing a glance at anyone in the room, he walked out of the house and walked to the west side.

In the kitchen, Hermione was flustered, looking at everyone as if she expected them to all go after him. Bill gave a small tut and Mrs. Weasley sighed.

"Well, I guess Arthur is going to be a little upset that they're meeting without his presence," the woman said before returning to her work.

* * *

Alaina's eyes were closed in meditation. It was a way for her to keep her mind from freaking out on her as well as her body. Being a manimental required a great deal of mental stability- especially to stay in touch with all four elements. Meditation was one of the main ways she reined in her bending.

Her meditation was distracted when she felt someone approaching her. Trying to ignore them, she inhaled slowly and deeply. She held it in for a few counts and then released the air. Who ever had come to her, they stopped and were simply standing there. It was rather distracting, but she did her best to pretend they weren't there. It wasn't that difficult seeing as they hadn't tried to talk to her, but it became harder the longer they stood there. For some reason, she was sensing vibrations from them through the ground. Every breath they took, every little twitch they made, it was beginning to irk her.

Sighing in frustration because she lost her focus, she turned her head to see her company. He was thin with dark hair. Round glasses sat on his nose. His clothes looked a few sizes too big for him and were bland in color; just a plain grey t-shirt and a pair of worn out jeans. He stared at her as if he were sizing her up. Her eyes narrowed and she tilted her head back so she was looking directly into his eyes.

"May I help you?" she asked.

He blinked a couple times before answering. "I was just wondering… who you are. I haven't seen you here before. Are you a relative of the Weasleys?" he said. She cocked her head to the side a little bit and her brow furrowed.

"No, I'm not. And you could be Harry," she answered.

"Could be?" he asked confused. Alaina scoffed.

"Well, there's so many people walking in and out of this place, I don't really know anyone that doesn't have red hair," she replied. The boy shifted his weight to one foot to the other awkwardly.

"But how did you know I was Harry?" he inquired. She shrugged.

"Lucky guess. Everyone's been talking about you, so I made an assumption," she answered.

"Okay, fair enough. You still haven't answered me yet," he said.

"I'm Alaina," she said extending her hand. He took it. When her hand touched his, she felt an overwhelming warmth sweep over her. She retracted her hand almost immediately, not understanding the odd sensation. She realized that she was staring at him and he at her, so she quickly averted her gaze to the ground. Warmth flooded her cheeks as she fiddled with the grass in front of her. He continued to stand there, albeit awkwardly.

She wished he would leave so she could think about why she had reacted in such a way to his touch, but instead he sat beside her in the grass. She pretended to not notice, hoping that if she ignored him he would just go away. But he sat there and semi played with the grass, semi looking around as if searching for a topic of conversation.

"So, sorry if this comes off as offensive, but what are you doing here at the Burrow?" he asked. Ahh, so he wasn't trying to make small talk, he wanted answers; the same answers that she was looking for.

"Um… I'm not really sure. Still working on that one," she said. He made a small noise of acknowledgement and the silence enveloped them again. Her ministrations with the grass turned into her tearing the earth apart. She hated that she was so socially inept to carry on a conversation with someone. But then again, he had intruded on her, so she had no reason to feel guilty.

Giving up, she sighed heavily and lay down in the grass. With her hands behind her head, she looked up at the cloudless sky as the sun shined upon the earth. This had been one of the first few sunny days since she had arrived at the Burrow. One thing she noticed about her location was that it rained an awful lot.

"Gosh, if I didn't know any better, I'd think I were in Seattle," she said shaking her head. This caused Harry to look at her puzzled. She turned her head to him more so she could look him in the eye again. Grey met green and locked gazes. She was so absorbed in the color she almost didn't notice him saying 'What?'

"Uh… Seattle, you know… the rainy city," she joked lightly. He raised one eyebrow at her and she realized that he had no idea what she was talking about.

"It's uh…" she cleared her throat, "it's a city in the United States. It rains there a lot." He gave a slight nod and then broke their eye contact. Alaina could feel more footsteps approaching. She turned to see who their visitors were much to Harry's confusion. When Ron and Hermione came around the corner, Harry gave them a small glare. Ron came over and sat next to Alaina. Hermione was more hesitant and sat next to Harry.

Ron cleared his throat. "Now Alaina, this is our good friend Harry Po-"

"I know Ron. You can skip the introductions since we beat you to it," Alaina said. Ron's ears went a little pink. Alaina sat up as to not be rude to her company.

"So Alaina, you're from the United States?" said Hermione trying to break the silence.

"Well, as of lately yeah. But I've lived in almost every English speaking country on the planet. My mom and I moved around a lot," she replied. She tried to get over her previous impression of Hermione since the girl was making an effort to be nice.

"Where were you born?" Hermione asked.

"Right here so I've been told. We lived here for a year. Then the moving started," Alaina answered.

"Why did you move? Was one of your parents some sort of ambassador for the muggle government or something?" Harry perked up. Alaina gave him a puzzled look.

"Muggle government? What makes you think I would have ties with many muggles?" she asked. With this, Hermione's eyes narrowed at her dangerously. Harry stared at her indifferently but Ron shifted uncomfortably.

"What she means is- she never had much contact with muggles, Hermione. It's not that she doesn't like them or anything…" Ron said. His voice betrayed him though and he looked at Alaina as if to support him.

"I don't like them. I don't dislike them either… well, sometimes I do, but only if they provoke me," she said. Hermione's gaze was still distrusting, but the tension in the air lowered some.

"Why would muggles have any reason to provoke you?" Hermione asked angrily to the grass. She began to pluck at the greenery forcefully.

"Well, they see a girl stick her hand in a fire and the flames 'magically' move out of the way as to prevent her from getting burned. Or after they push her into the river, she comes back up completely dry and her attackers are soaked to the bone. It's the same reason why we've had to keep moving. People get afraid when they come in contact with someone who has magical prowess," Alaina replied. Hermione become more thoughtful with her response and folded her hands together in her lap.

"So, you were bullied by muggles," said Harry. Alaina nodded. They locked eyes again and she could feel that he understood her pain.

"I was too. There were multiple times when bullies were chasing me and I'd end up on the roof of the school. I'd have no idea how I got there," he said. Alaina gave him a small smile.

"Only made them angrier, right?" she said. He grimaced. She set her hands behind her and leaned back.

"Well, you didn't know what you were doing. I, on the other hand, knew exactly what I was doing. That's why I got in so much trouble and why we had to move so much," she said. Harry looked at her with confusion.

"How could you know what you were doing? Wasn't it just the inner witch in you?" he asked.

"Er… it's complicated," she answered. Harry seemed satisfied with her answer and Hermione fidgeted uneasily. Alaina stood up, wanting to avoid anymore personal questions. She brushed off her pants a bit before looking back at the three.

"I'm gonna go inside, see if I can have a shower now. Nice meeting you, Harry," she said.

"Could you not before?" Ron joked spitting out the grass between his teeth. Alaina turned back around.

"No, Bill was keeping me from going upstairs. Probably because they didn't want me to meet Harry, or Bill was doing me a favor from setting my eyes upon the mess that is Ron Weasley in the morning," she teased. Ron's cheeks flared up and she stuck her tongue out at him. She rounded the corner quickly as to get away from the conversation.

"What does she mean it's complicated?" Harry asked to no one in particular. Leave it to Hermione though to answer it.

"She's not just a witch, Harry. She's a manimental," she said.

"Manimental? What's that?" he asked much to Hermione's dismay.

"Manimental- someone who can control the elements at will. We learned about it last year in History of Magic," she said. Ron scoffed.

"Come on, Hermione. Everyone knows that you're the only person that can stay awake in that dreadful class!" Ron said. Hermione scowled at the red head.

"Of course, Ron, how stupid of me to forget!" she retorted hotly. Harry could sense a storm brewing deeply between the two of them. He hated getting in the middle of their fights.

"How much do you know about her? How many can she control?" he said trying to redirect the topic back to the main subject. Hermione broke the staring contest to look at Harry for her reply.

"At least 3 from what I can tell. She has a powerful earth affinity and from what she says it sounds like she can control fire and water as well," she answered. Harry gazed out at the vast field before him. Hills upon rolling hills were all he could see beyond the field. Looking at the earth, he wondered what exactly Hermione meant by "control".

"I mean, she fixed that pipe- made a giant hole, used the faucet to determine where exactly the broken part was and cleaned it all up when she was done. To be able to use metal in such a way shows how much power she has with earth," said Hermione.

"And when she first got here, she moved water that George had spilled on the table to the sink," Ron said.

"So, she definitely has two, what about fire?"

"She said that one time fire didn't burn her and the flames moved out of the way."

"She has all four."

The trio looked up to see Bill. He looked up to the sky before deciding to sit down in front of them. They all scooted closer to him to hear what he had to say. Bill leaned back casually as the wind blew his ponytail to the side. He looked so relaxed and composed.

"Alaina is called 'The Elemental'. She can control all four elements and use them very well," Bill said.

"Why is she called 'The Elemental'?" Hermione asked, "Surely, she isn't the first of her kind that can control all the elements?"

"You're right, but it's still extremely rare to come across a manimental that has control of all four. Also at her age to have mastered them so easily-"

"Wait, how old is she?" Harry asked.

"Seventeen," Bill answered. Hermione's jaw dropped. Ron and Harry exchanged glances, not fully understanding Hermione's reaction.

"So, she's of age?" Ron said.

"Yes, unless the laws have changed recently," Bill drawled. Ron's ears went pink.

"Why is she here?" Harry asked. Bill gave him a solemn look.

"She's here to go to school, just like you lot," he said. He then stood up and walked back inside the house.


	4. Nothing to Remember

Alaina sat in bed fidgeting with the sheets. Today was the day they would be visiting Diagon Alley. She was nervous. She knew that she didn't have much of a reason to be, but the churning sensation in her stomach wouldn't fade away.

Over the past few days, Alaina had become closer to Hermione and Harry. She had made amends with Hermione. It was difficult, but Alaina fed off of her constant curiosity and Hermione off hers. It was a very easy and quick friendship despite their initial meeting.

Harry had become a friend as well. They hadn't talked much, but she enjoyed his company and it seemed that he enjoyed hers as well.

Alaina was hesitant to have made such quick friends, but she couldn't complain. Never in her life was making friends easy. Moving constantly only thwarted her attempts at close relationships. Besides Hermione gaping at the fact that she was a manimental at first, they had all gotten along fine.

There were the occasions when they would prod her for information- mainly her arrival and the Order- to which Alaina never gave them a satisfying answer. Ron was the worst, often bringing it up randomly as to try to catch her off guard. She felt bad, but she stuck to her word.

Alaina had been attending the Order meetings (much to Mrs. Weasley's protesting.) She admittedly didn't understand much of what was going on and tended to space off during the meetings unless it was directly related to her. Even so, Mrs. Weasley would usually usher her out halfway through the meetings claiming that it was her "bed time". Alaina hardly protested, unable to act like she was actually interested in what was going on.

She looked at the clock. 6:20. Mrs. Weasley had said for them to be up early as to beat the shopping traffic. She quickly threw on some clothes and made her way downstairs. Mrs. Weasley was busying herself around the kitchen as always. She looked tense on this day however.

As the rest of them came filing down, Mrs. Weasley served them their food. Breakfast was quiet as everyone was either too tired or too worried to talk. Bill handed Harry some money (much to Ron's dismay) and then handed another bag to Alaina. She didn't know what to say. No one had just given her a sack full of money before and from what it felt like, the sack was full. Bill was talking to Harry and Ron so she decided to open it.

Inside were larger gold pieces that had an intricate design. Smaller silver and bronze pieces floated around as well. However, there were more gold pieces than anything. She didn't know exactly how this currency worked, but she felt assured in assuming that the gold pieces were the most valuable. Her mouth became dry. How was she supposed to thank Bill for such a generous gift? This must be a fortune! Her mind swam and she didn't know what to make of the money.

When she looked back up, Bill and Fleur were the only ones left in the room. She didn't even hear the others clear out of the kitchen and outside.

"I- I- I don't know what to say, Bill. Thank you," stuttered Alaina.

"Nonsense. Your vault was close to Harry's and you heard what I told him about how backed up Gringots is," Bill said with a wave of his hand. Alaina was thoroughly confused now.

"My… vault?" she said. Bill gave her an incredulous look.

"Yes, your vault," he said. He set the paper down on the table and stood. "You better get out there or they'll leave without you."

"But I-"

"Go. Zey are leaving," interrupted Fleur. Alaina looked back and forth between the two, then grabbed her bag hurriedly and went outside. It was a gloomy day. A slick, black car was parked on the front lawn. She could see Mr. and Mrs. Weasley sitting in the front. Mrs. Weasley gestured for her to hurry, so she ran out to the car.

In the back seat, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all sat comfortably. It looked as though she wouldn't be able to squeeze in. Much to her surprise, the car stretched magically and she fit in nicely.

Finally, they reached an old looking building in London. As soon as Harry climbed out, he was enveloped in a crushing hug. Alaina looked to Ron and Hermione alarmed. She was puzzled when she saw only smiles on their faces. After Harry was released, they followed him out of the car. When Alaina stepped out, she gasped. The tallest man she had ever seen stood right before her. His face was bushy from his thick beard and mustache. His cheeks were red and he wore a great big smile.

"Yer must be Alaina," the giant said extending a large hand. Alaina took his hand hesitantly. Alaina had always thought she had big hands especially for her size, but compared to him, her hands looked miniature.

"Yes," she answered.

"I'm Rubeus Hagrid. Keeper of the Keys an' other things at Hogwarts. I'll be seein' yer around this year o'lot," he said. Alaina gave him a small smile. For some reason, he gave off such a calming aura. She knew that he was a trustworthy man.

"It's nice to meet you, Rubeus," she said. He waved a big hand at her.

"Please, th' name's Hagrid. Jus' call me Hagrid," he said. Alaina's smile grew.

They made their way into what was called the Leaky Cauldron. It was empty save for one man. Hagrid said something to him, which Alaina didn't catch. She was too busy staring at the pictures on the walls moving around. Some of them were even leaving their frame!

"You'll get used to it. There are portraits all over Hogwarts. Some of them have quite a bit of character to them, too," Hermione said beside her.

"How long though?" she asked, still not taking her eyes off the moving pictures.

"I'm sorry?" Hermione responded.

"How long until you get used to it?"

Hermione laughed and they all made their way out to the courtyard. Hagrid pulled out a battered pink umbrella and tapped a few bricks with it. The bricks then moved to reveal a long, cobblestone street. Alaina gaped at the sight.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley," Ginny said behind her. Mrs. Weasley gave a small tut before ushering them all out to the street.

"Don't go anywhere by yourselves. Stay close and don't talk to strangers," she warned. Although Alaina was totally amazed by Diagon Alley, she could tell that it was lacking its usual life. There were stores all boarded up with signs hanging crooked. There were some people in old looking rags that were attempting to sell them protection amulets. Mr. Weasley muttered something about being on the job before they continued down the road.

"Alright, you four go down to Madam Malkin's and get yourselves some new robes. Hagrid, you'll go with them. Molly and I will take Ginny to get everyone's books. Now, hand over your lists," Mr. Weasley instructed. Hermione, Harry, and Alaina gave him some money as well before heading off with Hagrid. Over their shoulders, they could hear Mrs. Weasley arguing with Arthur, something about "splitting everyone up".

Once they reached Madam Malkin's, Hagrid took a peek inside.

"Look like it'll be a tight squeeze in there wit all o' us packed inside," he said, "I'll stand guard out here while you lot go in an' get yerselves some robes." They nodded and went inside.

"Watch where you're sticking that pin, will you!" cried a voice inside. Harry and Ron both tensed up at the sound of the voice. In the mirror, a pale boy with slick blond hair and a pointed nose stood with elegant green robes. An older woman moved around him hurriedly while a younger looking woman stood off to the side.

"Mother, if you're wondering what stinks, a Mudblood just walked in," the boy sneered. Both Harry and Ron drew their wands out at the same time. Hermione began to beg them to put them away, but neither budged. The old woman scolded the boy, but it seemed half-hearted and she seemed be frightened by him now.

"Wands away please!" she said to Harry and Ron, but both of them stayed put. Alaina turned her attention back to the mirror where she could see the boy's face. Through the mirror, they locked gazes. His face turned to a smirk and he turned around.

"What's this you got here? Made a new little friend?" he said. He stepped down from the pedestal and made his way over to them. Harry took another step forward, his wand pointed even higher before the other boy stopped. He wasn't looking at Harry, though. His eyes were still locked in contact with Alaina's.

Suddenly, the woman that had been off to the side was behind the boy. She put a hand on top of his shoulder and began to usher him out.

"Mother! Get your hands off me!" he cried. She than began to tear the robes off.

"Draco! Do not argue with me! We won't associate with such low beings and take our business elsewhere!" she said hurriedly. The boy gave her a look of disgust before he began to help her disrobe himself. Alaina looked at the woman who had been staring at her. When they made eye contact, she quickly looked away and began to tear at the boy's clothes more frantically. They threw them on the ground then hurried out of the shop. It was only then that Harry and Ron put their wands away.

"Now, really?" Madam Malkin cried as she scooped up the fallen robes. She then began to fit everyone, albeit distractedly. When she got to Alaina, she was puzzled when Alaina didn't give her a specific color to dress her in.

"You're not a first year, though! You're much too old!" she stated as she gave Alaina a good look. Alaina blushed, not knowing what to say.

"She's a transfer student," Hermione covered for her. Alaina let go of a breath she hadn't realized that she was holding. She couldn't be more thankful for Hermione's quick thinking. Madam Malkin gave them an incredulous look before shrugging her shoulders and getting to work. Once they had their robes, they walked out of the shop (much to Madam Malkin's delight.) Outside were Ginny and her parents with their books beside Hagrid.

"Got your robes then? We'll best be headed off," Mrs. Weasley said, a tinge of relief in her voice.

"Not yet, Molly. Alaina has to get herself a wand," Mr. Weasley said. Mrs. Weasley looked as if he had just said the worse bit of news she had heard in weeks. "Besides, the kids all want to see Fred and George's joke shop."

"Alright then, Ollivander's first," she resigned. As they walked, Ron stepped into pace with Alaina.

"I thought you were a witch," he said.

"I am," Alaina replied.

"So, why haven't you got a wand?" he asked. Alaina blushed from embarrassment.

"I uh… left it back in America," she said sheepishly. Ron nodded before they stepped into the dusty shop. It was a very humble shop that was incredibly cluttered. Boxes upon boxes filled the walls and in every empty crevice. There was a little desk with a small register upon it and an old, dusty lap that sat on it.

Suddenly, a small man that went no higher than Alaina's shoulders popped up from behind the counter. He looked at everyone confusedly.

"Why, what brings the occasion? Did someone snap their wand again?" the man asked. Then, Alaina was being shoved roughly forward in front of everyone. The man looked at her before gasping.

"Surely, this can't be?" he said looking at Alaina from head to toe. Mr. Weasley cleared his throat.

"Alaina Hinston, she is a transfer student," he answered. So Hermione's spur of the moment cover for her hadn't been so far from the story. The man's eyes seemed to bulge more with the mention of her name.

"Hinston, Hinston, very interesting indeed," he mumbled before plunging into the vast amount of boxes. As he sifted through them, he began to pull various ones out. With an armful, he hurried back to her and began handing them to her.

"Elm, 15 ¾ inches, Dragon Heartstring, flexible," he said before handing her the wand. The instant he put it in her hand, it was out again. "No, no, not that, maybe this: Cedar, 14 ½ inches, Unicorn Hair, unyielding," he said. Just like the previous wand, he snatched it away from her before she even had a chance to get a good grip on it. This continued on for several more minutes. The man began to chuckle after they had gone through a few more.

"You're a tricky one to place, just like your father," he said. As soon as he said this, Alaina froze. No one had ever mentioned her father before. For all she knew, she was some bastard child. She didn't have a father. The man broke her from her trance by handing her another wand.

As soon as it touched her fingertips, sparks flew from the end. She felt a warm, tingling sensation go down her arm. Her old wand never felt this good in her hand. The man gave a small clap and a large smile spread across his face.

"A wonderful match! 12 ¼ inches, Fir, Phoenix Feather, rigid- very similar to your mother's," he said. Alaina's stomach plummeted. First, he mentioned the father she never had, now the mother that was stolen from her. She handed him seven gold pieces before exiting the shop with everyone. From the corner of her eye, she could see Mr. and Mrs. Weasley exchange worried looks to each other. Alaina then let her eyes wander until they fell on the most magnificent sight she had seen yet.

A bell tinkled but that was barely heard over the din of the store. Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes was buzzing and full of life. Alaina's eyes opened in wonder as she tried to soak everything in. People were flying across the store to look at all the merchandise. The excitement was palpable in the air. Everything around her was bursting with color. Two young girls laughed at a boy holding a long, shiny object had a look of shock on his face and a black eye. Something bright flew past her head and she tried to follow it with her eyes until they found two heads full of flaming red hair.

"Mum! Dad!" the twins exclaimed as they embraced their parents. Molly held on to both of her boys for longer than they had expected as seen on their faces. When she released them, they gave greetings to everyone else in the group.

"Welcome to the shop, everyone!" one redhead said.

"Please let us know if we can service you in any way," the other said. As everyone began to disperse into the store, Alaina saw Fred and George take Harry aside.

Alaina, Hermione, and Ginny began to meander through the store. The number of products that had been produced in the store amazed Alaina.

"You say that Fred and George invented all of this stuff?" she asked the girls while her eyes continued to look around.

"Yes, it's pretty amazing, isn't it?" Hermione said while picking up a box.

"Indeed it is," a voice piped from behind them. All three of the girls whirled around to find the two twins behind them.

"Haven't you girls found our special WonderWitch products yet? Follow me," said Fred as they began to lead them through the store. They stopped when they reached a large pink display full of frilly, glittery things. Many girls flocked to this area and were giggling. Hermione and Ginny exchanged glances as Ginny picked up a small pink bottle.

"Really? A love potion?" Ginny said while examining the bottle in her hands.

"Yup! Guaranteed to have any boy flocking to you on his knees just to catch a glimpse of you-" George replied.

"-But you're in no need of that," Fred said while snatching the bottle from her hands. Ginny scowled at him as he took the bottle and crossed her arms over her chest.

"It's not like I would need it nor want it anyway," she retorted, "You two should know… sneaking through my letters and all."

"Precisely why you don't need it," said George as he turned her attention to some of their other products. Hermione gave Alaina an exasperated glance as they looked at the rest of the WonderWitch line. Everything was so feminine it was quite daunting. Beguiling Bubbles, Crush Blush, Everlasting Eyelashes… Alaina could only wonder how many girls had already fallen to the marketing scheme of the two Weasley twins. The two began to step away from the swarm of girls and products until they saw Ginny ogling something. They went over to her and saw she held a little purple ball of fluff.

"They're really cute!" said Ginny as she scratched the purple fur with one finger.

"They're fairly cuddly, yes," Fred responded. Ginny continued to play with the little fluff ball.

"What is it?" Alaina asked.

"It's a Pygmy Puff," George answered.

"We breed them in the back of the shop," said Fred.

"But it's starting to get a little difficult since the demand is so high and they can only reproduce so quickly," said George.

"But isn't it illegal to breed new species? I've never heard of a Pygmy Puff before," Hermione said.

"But we aren't breeding new species-"

"They're simply miniature Puffskeins," George finished. Hermione continued to eye the little creature wearily while Ginny played with it.

"I think I'll name him Arnold," Ginny said as she brought the Pygmy Puff closer to her face.

"An excellent name, Ginny," Fred asserted as George held out a little pink cage. Ginny smiled at her brothers and put the purple fluff ball inside. George handed her the cage and then placed a hand on one of her shoulders. Fred grasped the other shoulder and the two began to lead her off, talking animatedly about her soon-to-be purchase. Alaina looked at Hermione who was smiling and shaking her head to herself.

The pair then went around the store looking for Ron and Harry. When they found them, Ron looked slightly put off.

"What's the matter, Ron?" Hermione asked him.

"I'm their bloody brother and they won't even give me a discount," he mumbled angrily. The girls then turned to Harry who shrugged his shoulders. They continued on through the store, Ron not looking at anything on the shelves now. A box caught Alaina's eye that had a giant ear on it.

'Extendable Ears! –Eavesdrop on anyone and get crystal clear quality!' the box read. Alaina turned the box over trying to find a more in-depth description of the device. It seemed like an item that would be more useful than humorous.

"Malfoy," said Harry from behind her. Alaina looked up to see all three looking out the window. Outside, the blonde boy from the robe shop was walking briskly down the street. She looked back at the trio to find Harry having pulled out a cloak.

"What's that?" asked Alaina. Harry continued to unfold the cloak. As he did, his hands disappeared. Alaina gasped. There was no way-

"It's an invisibility cloak," Harry responded, "Now get in or we're going without you."

Alaina looked back and forth. She needed to watch over Harry, but how was it possible to fit 4 fully-grown teens beneath one little cloak?

"Harry, I don't think this is a very good idea," Hermione warned. Harry didn't seem to pay attention to her though as he began to drape the cloak over Ron and himself.

"Hermione, we know Malfoy's up to no good. He's headed towards Knockturn Alley! I bet this has something to do with Voldemort-!"

"Don't say his name, Harry!" pleaded Ron.

"Alaina, could I borrow those extendable ears?" Harry asked, once again ignoring one of his friends. Alaina hesitated, not sure of what to do. Slumping her shoulders, she handed him the box. As he moved to take it from her, she pulled back slightly.

"Aren't you going to pay for them first?" she asked. Harry gave an agitated sigh and snatched the box away from her.

"Fred and George told me that I could take whatever I wanted from the store since I gave them the start up loan. Are you coming with or not?" he said. Alaina gave him a hard look. She could tell that he wasn't going to back down and if she didn't give him an answer soon, he wasn't going to wait for one. But how could they all fit under that cloak?

"You three go under the cloak- I don't think we'll all fit. But I'll tail you- I won't get too close and no one knows me here yet," she decided. Harry gave her a curt nod before pulling Hermione under the cloak. All that Alaina could see of them now was their feet peeping underneath every now and then. She realized that they must all have to crouch down a little as to not give them all away. They were able to make it out of the store just fine. It was once they were out on the streets that Alaina realized her mistake.

Sure it wasn't too hard to follow the boy with blonde hair, but three invisible people was a much more trying task. She first relied on her eyes but quickly figured out that method wasn't going to work. She then focused all her attention to the ground. Sensing the vibrations, she tried to keep an even pace from her invisible friends as she followed them down the barren streets.

They took a sharp turn down a dingy alley. Alaina stopped before following them further. If she hadn't been focusing on their movements, she would have probably missed this place. It certainly didn't seem to attract many people, more so normal people. She cautiously resumed her task and tried to focus on finding Harry, Ron, and Hermione again.

"What's a pretty little thing like you doing down here?" a deep voice boomed. Alaina whipped around sharply as she felt someone grab her arm.

"Oh, dearie, are you lost? Let me help you for only a small cost," an elderly woman said to her other side. Alaina turned her head quickly to face her as the woman began to grab her other arm.

"I'm fine, thanks. I'm not lost-"

"What business do you have down here then? Looking for a little bit of trouble, eh?" the deep voice asked. Alaina tried to take deep breaths.

"I'm just looking around. Now if you'll please let go of me," she responded. The woman's grip began to loosen but the man's became stronger.

"Looking around? What's a girl like you coming down here just 'looking around'?"

Alaina could feel her anger bubbling more rapidly. If this man didn't release her soon, sparks were going to fly.

"My business is mine and mine alone. Now if you will _let go,_ I would like to be on my way," she said firmly.

"Oh, she's a fighter, this one is," another woman came up from behind her. The man turned to look at the woman and Alaina took the opportunity to twist out of his grasp. The other woman gave a high laugh as she freed herself.

"Fighter indeed. Better be needing of some pretty amulets, for your pre-tek-shon," she drawled holding out a red pennant attached to a gold chain. Alaina thought of Mr. Weasley from earlier saying something about being on the job. Then she remembered Mrs. Weasley advising them to stay close and not talk to strangers. Well, Alaina hadn't followed either of those instructions. Why stop now?

Wind began to sweep down the alley. Alaina's hair began to blow in her face, obstructing her view. One of the women swayed where she stood as the other held on to a building. The man barely budged, but she could fix that.

Faster and faster the wind blew through the alley. The woman on the wall crouched down. Boxes and barrels that littered along the alley walls began toppling over. Alaina's hair became wild about her face.

Something hit her shin and hard. Alaina could only focus on the sudden pain and the wind died down slightly. She looked down to see nothing there. The wind had been blowing in the opposite direction of her shin so it wasn't like anything had hit her. But someone could have. Remembering the reason why she had gotten in this predicament in the first place, she concentrated on the ground for vibrations. There stood three teens in front of her even though they deceived her eyes. The wind calmed down considerably and she turned around. Without saying a word to her harassers, she left, the trio in tow.

As soon as they were clear from the alley, Alaina felt someone grab her arm and turn her around sharply. She was very annoyed now and was about to punch whoever had ahold of her in the face. She stopped herself and surprised to see that it was Hermione holding onto her and Ron and Harry behind her, free from the cloak.

"Hermione? What-?"

"Alaina, you have to be more careful!" Hermione scolded. Alaina felt her heart sink. She didn't understand why Hermione was upset with her.

"Be more careful how?" asked Alaina.

"With your powers," Hermione whispered fiercely. Alaina looked at Hermione perplexed.

"Was that you that kicked me?" accused Alaina. Hermione looked back to Ron and Harry before loosening her grip on her.

"Yes, and I'm sorry, but that man was dangerous. Alaina, I recognize him! He's a Death Eater," she said. Before Alaina had time to process what Hermione said, Ron and Harry began to usher them back to the Weasley twin's shop.

"We have to get back to the store before my mum realizes that we're gone," said Ron.

"I'll explain more later," whispered Hermione to Alaina. They decided that they would all enter the shop individually as to not drag a lot of attention. When they were all in, Mr. Weasley ushered everyone back together and they left Diagon Alley.

* * *

The sky was dark. A few clouds lulled by the stars. Crickets were singing their nightly melodies. Alaina lay on top of her sheets. The night was warm and her room was stuffy. She thought about cracking the window open, but she was feeling too lazy to do it. Alaina glanced at her clock again. 10:14. She was growing anxious. She couldn't turn her mind off ever since Hermione told her that she recognized the man that had grabbed on to her in Knockturn Alley. The man was a Death Eater.

That man could know where her mother was.

A mix of anger and confusion coursed through her veins. She hadn't recognized him at all. But all the men that had been at her house the night they were attacked had been wearing masks. For some reason, Alaina had the impression that when she saw one of them again, she would know. She was frustrated. Alaina was now focusing on that night instead of blocking it. How many cloaked figures were there again? 6? 7? Seven. There were seven. She tried to remember names. One of them was Avery, she remembered that one, but the other one… Her mom had given him a name. Was it Maloy? Murfew?

"Malfoy," a voice said bursting into her room. Alaina sat up quickly to see that Ron, Harry, and Hermione had all entered her room.

"I know it! He's joined up with Lord Voldemort and is a Death Eater now too!" said Harry. Hermione looked at Harry with disdain.

"Harry, we don't have any real evidence to support that," Hermione said. Harry turned to her quickly.

"Yes we do! His dad is one. Why else would he have gone into Borgin & Burkes?" he argued. Hermione sighed and looked to Ron for support. The redhead immediately directed his attention to the ground. Hermione then looked to Alaina expectantly. Alaina panicked. She didn't even know who this person was, let alone if he was a supposed bad guy. Hermione stared at her, urging her on. Alaina cleared her throat before joining into the argument.

"Who exactly are we talking about here?" asked Alaina.

"Draco Malfoy, a Slytherin boy in our year," Hermione explained.

"He was the boy in the robe shop today. The really rude one," added Harry.

"Oh, okay," said Alaina lamely. "Oh yeah, that kid's definitely a Death Eater. I could smell his Death Eater-ness from… as far as he was standing away from me today," she said trying to sound serious. Ron snorted while Hermione furrowed her brow. Harry on the other hand was elated by the fact that someone agreed with him on this Malfoy character.

"See! Alaina's barely known of him and yet she can see him for who he truly is!" exclaimed Harry while gesticulating wildly. Harry then flopped down onto the chair that was in the corner of her room. He leaned to his left side and rested his head in his hand. Alaina began to feel guilty. Maybe this wasn't a joking matter…

"Uh… Harry? I don't think she was being serious," said Hermione. Alaina saw Harry visibly sigh as he lifted his head back up to look at them.

"I know," he said sadly, "but what is it that I see that you guys don't?"

"You might just be looking too deep into something that isn't there," spoke Ron for the first time since entering the room. He crossed the room and sat upon the nightstand where her clock sat. Ron picked up the clock and toyed with it a little. Alaina couldn't tear her eyes from the clock as soon as Ron touched it. She couldn't help but feel possessive of her clock. It was the one piece of home she still had. It was the thing that tore up her reality and brought her to this-

"Alaina, are you alright?" Hermione asked. Alaina was startled and jumped a little. She tried to cover it though by moving over on the bed and gesturing for Hermione to sit down.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," she said. Hermione took her offer and sat beside her. Alaina tried to think of something to say as to make it look like she had been thinking of something relevant rather then obsessing over her clock.

"So… you said you knew the man that was holding me hostage in Knockturn Alley, right?" asked Alaina. Hermione shifted on the bed.

"I know him. I don't know his name, but we fought against him last year," said Ron.

"His name is Antonin Dolohov," added Hermione, "He was one of the first Death Eaters. This is really bothering me."

"What's bothering you?" Alaina asked.

"We fought against him last year at the Ministry of Magic. He as well as many others-"

"So…?"

"So, he should be in Azkaban," Hermione said.

"What's Azkaban-?"

"Prison, but worse," answered Ron.

The four sat in silence after that, not really sure what else to say.

* * *

Oh golly gee.

So... It's been a while, yes?

For the past 4 days, I've been writing every night so I can finish this chapter.

I hope to keep this up and finish this story by December of this year.

To those who have reviewed, favorited, or put this story on your alert- thank you so so so so so much! I hope I haven't left you waiting for too long and you still have interest in this story! I suck, I know, but you guys rock! Seriously- give yourselves a hand!

I'm still looking for a beta if anyone's interested!

~fortheconfusion


End file.
